The top nine are singing the music of the Beatles tonight - it's either a recipe for success or unmitigated disaster.... How I wish Charlie had made it to this round... Well, here we go - the top nine, with my comments that as always, are written before I have a chance to be influenced by any of the other judges mutterings...

Kree: "With a Little Help From My Friends" - Killed it. She's probably the first contestant this year who won't succumb to the "going first curse" - great way to start the show.

Burnell: "Let It Be" - Why would they let it be revealed that he doesn't know Let It Be? Those glasses and the angle that reveals his eyebrows remind me of Groucho Marx for some reason... He does amazing things with his runs, but there was not much "electric" about this performance, and in fact, sometimes it almost seemed screechy or whiny in some of his attacks - like a raspiness that didn't quite arrive right. It was okay, but man it made me wish Curtis had survived last week to have been able to sing this song. I bet he knows it.

Amber: "She's Leaving Home" - This is a great song to do in this way - though I think the chorus really misses the counterpoint of the melody that was regulated to a whisper of a BGV. But I loved her belt, and I think this song actually allowed her to tell more of a story with her performance than I've seen from her in the competition so far. Lazaro: "In My Life" - This was boring for me - I think he's run out of colors in the crayon box. And can someone get this kid some powder? Not good enough I'm afraid.

Candice: "Come Together" - great off-speed pitch for her. If you're going to take a risk with a different style, this is the way to do it. She just owns the stage at all times. Is she getting thinner? Fantastic arrangement, great confidence - I loved it.

Paul - "Eleanor Rigby" - this feels like those moments when some dude from a soap opera cut an album and does a cover on Solid Gold. Was waiting for Donny Osmond or David Hasselhoff to come out for a duet. Me not like.

Angie: "Yesterday" - for what it's worth, Nikki, this is my favorite hairstyle of hers so far... The only part i didn't like was one time when she came in way above the melody on the first "yesterday" of that verse (it was late in the song) - other than that, it was very very good. Very enjoyable.

Devin: "The Long and Winding Road" - He has all the swag that Paul is trying to convince himself that he has. I think he really found a nice groove with this arrangement and performance. It was very good. Smooth like butter.

Janelle: "I Will" - She's making this sound like a Dolly Parton song - beautiful, she's selling it for sure, I just don't know if it has enough "umph" when compared to the others - but she is owning her style and what she brings to the table.

Ok, I agree! Paul didn't do great; but he didn't perform as badly as Lazaro. And yet, Lazaro was in the top three! What??? I think they might as well go ahead and crown him now. I think all those little girls will keep voting for him until the very end............even if he doesn't sing well!